To Whom It May Concern:

The Reading and Homework Help Program of the Toronto Public Library has had the pleasure of hosting Martha's workshops on phonemic awareness and reading help techniques since 1999, presented to our program staff, volunteers and parents. I have also seen her speak at a Frontier College literacy conference. She is an excellent speaker. Her positive and engaging style effectively conveys the considerable theoretical and practical knowledge delivered in her presentation.

After every one of her sessions, I have had program participants thank me for bringing in Martha as a speaker. So many of them not only learn a lot, they walk away inspired and enthusiastic about applying what they have learned.

Martha's Crazy Cards games have become a mainstay activity at many of
our locations. We promoted their use at staff and volunteer workshops,
and we found that they really caught on. Obviously, Crazy Cards help
children learn sounds and vocabulary, but they're useful in other ways
too. They help language development skills as children use the card
words in sentences they form. They help children recognize word families
and develop sight recognition.

Most importantly, the card games are great motivators. The kids will practice less appealing reading if they know they can play Crazy Cards later. Crazy Cards has also helped bring a better sense of community to our program, as volunteers and their students join together to play in groups or even in Crazy Card tournaments. Crazy Cards really is one of the most fun, economical and educational games we have.

Sincerely,

David Kondo

Reading and Homework Help Program Co-ordinator
West Region, Toronto Public Library
416-394-5012, Fax: 416-394-5185